William Rich Sudweeks was found dead in the River Thames near Battersea.

He was a retired licensed victualler from Rowde near Devizes.

His body had been in the water for about three days and when it was found he had 10d in his pockets.

His father said that William Sudweeks had no financial troubles and that he held a good deal of his son’s money. He said that he never dreamed of anything happening to him saying that William Sudweeks was the most level-headed chap who ever lived'.

Newspaper reports from April 1930 indicated that William R Sudweeks lately licensee of the Bear Hotel in Devizes was fined for a motoring offence and disqualified for 12 months. The article states that he had been driving a motor-car in a dangerous manner at Knightsbridge, London on 26 November 1929 and had given a false name and address and had been driving without a licence.

The court heard that he had ignored the signal of a Police Constable regulating traffic at 8am and that when he was asked to produce his licence he had handed over one that belonged to one of his employees who at the time was serving in the Royal Artillery. It was noted that William R Sudweeks's license had been previously suspended for six months by the Marlborough magistrates in Wiltshire on 9 September 1929.

After hearing the evidence the Stipendiary told William R Sudweeks 'You were fined £5 and your license suspended on the last occasion you were summoned. For driving negligently you must now pay a fine of £7 and £8 costs; for giving a false name and address. £5; and for driving without a license, £2. And you will be disqualified from holding a license for 12 months.

An open verdict was returned.

*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see Western Daily Press - Saturday 20 September 1930

see Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser - Saturday 05 April 1930